This is mnoGoSearch's cache of http://files.usgwarchives.net/ar/benton/bios/drwmrdvs.txt. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared during last crawling. The current page could have changed in the meantime.

Last modified: Fri, 07 Jul 2017, 13:44:20 EDT    Size: 4657
Benton Co., AR - Biographies - William R. Davis

***********************************************************
Submitted by:
        Date: 20 Jun 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/benton/bentonco.html
***********************************************************

----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOURCE:  Goodspeed Publishers, 1890.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. William R. Davis, of Bentonville, Ark., was born in Montgomery County, Ky., in 1832, and is
the son of Col. Josiah Davis and Patsy Chandler (Smith) Davis, and the grandson of James Davis,
who was a soldier of the Revolutionary War. Col. Josiah Davis was born in Fayette County, Ky., in
1797, and was of Irish-Welsh extraction. His grandfather immigrated to the United States from
Ireland with a flail upon his shoulder, and hired to a Welshman in Maryland to thresh his wheat,
fell in love with his daughter and married her. Col. Josiah Davis was a colonel in the Home
Militia, and had three older brothers in the War of 1812, two of whom were killed in running the
gauntlet at the battle of River Raisin. The Colonel was a farmer and politician. He was a member
of the State Legislature two terms, and was one of the influential and prominent men of his
locality. He was a man of eminent ability, and a warm personal friend of Henry Clay. He died of
pneumonia in 1847. His wife was of English extraction, and was born in Fayette County, Ky., in
1805. She died in 1862. She was the mother of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, four
of whom are now living. Dr. W. R. Davis was the sixth child born to his parents. He received his
literary education at country schools, finishing up at Sylvan Academy, near Lexington, Ky., and
at the age of twenty years commenced the study of medicine, his preceptor being Dr. John A.
Hannah, of Mt. Sterling, Ky. In 1852 he entered the Ohio Medical College, of Cincinnati, Ohio,
and during the winter of 1853-54 attended a partial course at Louisville Medical College,
graduating in the spring of 1855 at Transylvania Medical College, Lexington, Ky., and at once
began the practice of his profession in the county of Clarke, afterward removing to Lewisport,
Hancock Co., Ky., where he commanded a leading practice for ten years, during which period, in
the year 1858, he was married to Miss Harriet A. Echols, of Wheeling, Va., who was born in 1837.
Three children were born to this union before the death of his wife, which occurred in 1864. Only
one is now living, Samuel E. Davis, attorney at law in Bentonville. In 1866 Dr. Davis, then a
widower, removed to North Middleton, Bourbon Co., Ky., and in 1868 he married Miss Mary F.
Seamands, who was born in Bourbon County in 1843, and who has since borne him seven children, to
wit: Mary A., Preston S., Josiah, William R., Winfield C., Patsy C. and Eleanor A., all of whom
are living. In 1876 Dr. Davis received a diploma from Louisville Medical College, and in same
year commenced business in Winfield, Cowley Co., Kas., where for nine years he continued to enjoy
a large and lucrative practice, acting a part of the time as local surgeon for the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad; was a member of the Southern Kansas Medical Society; was for one year
vice-president of same, and also member of the Kansas State Medical Association. He spent a year
with his family at Vinita, Indian Territory, during which period he was local surgeon for the
Missouri Pacific and M., K. & T. Railroads. In 1886 he became a citizen of Bentonville, Ark. Dr.
Davis is a Democrat in politics, is stockholder and director in the People's Bank, also director
and stockholder in the Bentonville Evaporating and Canning Company. Dr. Davis has always
commanded a large practice as well as the confidence and esteem of his acquaintances, and is a
man of public spirit and progressive ideas. He has been one of the leading men in making
Bentonville what she now is, having aided largely in securing enterprises of value and worth to
the town, and has in conjunction with Mr. Dunn laid off and platted a forty-acre addition, known
as Dunn & Davis' addition. During the short time he has been here he [p.826] has erected a number
of houses, and now owns a large number of lots in the city. He is agent for the Jarvis-Conklin
Mortgage Trust Company, Kansas City, Mo. Dr. Davis is a member of the Christian Church, a Mason,
and belongs to the I. O. U. W.: also, before moving west, was a member of district and State
medical societies in his native State. Kentucky.